I want a hysterectomy

I am 53 and have been perimenupaus for 7-8 years. I have been on estrogen but have had problems taking progestrone. Each time I do try progestone the bleeding is extreme and I am dizzy, have a mental fog, headache, nausea. KI have tried abou 8-9 different progestrones. I even have heavy bleeding at times without the progestrone. The bleeding and progestrone problems are effecting my abiliity to work and I am a single and need to work. My fear is if I say something to my OB he will not consider my needs. How do I approah him? He has a BIG ego.

I just had a hysterectomy done on April 14th and I am only 25(well 26 now as my birthdya was April 21st) but anyhow I had been wanting one for awhile now but the doc would always say no due to me being so young. I have had numerous problems including heavy bleeding, HPV, endometriosis and many more and honestly it just got to the point with my doctor where I told him this was MY body and I was tired of having these problems..I know what I want out of life and 2 children is what that was. I had already had my tubes tied so why did I need to keep all the other things when all they did was cause me problems and pain?
I know it may seem difficult but you need to just tell him straight out that you want one and think it is best for you, I mean it is after all your body and your insurance that will be paying for it not his!
I would just start complaining about your problems and see the alternatives and tell him something needs to be done. Tell him that it effects your work and that you area single person so you can't have that. And if he can't understand this because of his ego...I would say it is time for a second opinion! I wish you the best

First, you need to talk to him about fixing your problem once and for all. Explain how fed up you are, and can't wait until menopause is over.

If you can't convince him you really need one - and he can't convince you to wait - you might need to get a second opinion. And there is nothing wrong with that, your doc, despite his ego, has to respect that.

I wouldnt even consider a hyster unless you have cancer..seriously...
I had one at 35 ( 1 1/2 year ago) because of severe endo, cysts, etc and never in my dreams would I have guessed what a nightmare this has been. I have severe anxiety, night sweats, fevers, yeast infections all over-inside & out, depression, severe nerve pain, musle twitches, weight gain, hair loss..the list goes on. Ive tried several different natural hormones, none I can tolerate..they dont bother to tell you this stuff before, some of us cant handle any type of hormones. Also, the medications I used to take my body wont tolerate anymore either. Several gals mentioned the same thing. I have spent the last year in bed-went to 15 different doctors, all which cant help. I never had any of this until my hyster either...it has ruined my life...please research this carefully....

If I don't have one I will bleed to death. I am anemic, have polyps and fibroids, and I can't take progestrones. I have been on estrogen for years, so that won't be a problem. I know I will be given testosterone after the surgery. I am not looking forward to being in the hospital but I am looking forward to regaining my health.

I had a TAH/BSO 4/15th/08 and it was the best thing I ever did. I had multiple fibroids, ovarian cysts on both sides that refused to fall off and as a result of an ovary twisting 5 times around the fallopian tubes, which put me at the ER last month, I said to take everything!! The pain of the twisted ovary totally convinced me!

Two weeks post-op, I feel fantastic, will never have female problems again and because they took everything including the cervix, I will never have to have another PAP!

I am 51 and was not in menopause before surgery. Now I am taking the Patch and have yet to experience a hot flash or mood swings. Life is SO good!

I had a hysterectomy 1 yr ago & my Dr. said to come back in 1 yr for a pap. I had my cervix removed also. Things can grow in your vagina so you need a smear. My N.P. that I go to for bhrt also confirmed that I needed to go for a pelvic & smear.
It also took me a month or so before I started experiencing hot flashes & terrible crying spells, it takes a while for the hormones to deplete from your body.
Karon I hope you continue to have success! Surgical Menopause is something they don't warne you about at time of surgery!

I had to go through 6 yrs of d & c's , I had a thermal ablation in July of 06, then I started bleeding for 25 days at a time. My insurance said in Feb of 07 that I finally could have a hysterectomy. I had polyps & fibroids.

My doctor said I have to come back yearly for a vaginal check and a rectum check but I won't have to have a PAP smear. That detects cervical cancer and I don't have a cervix.
I am continuing to do well and hope you are, too!

After I was given a total hysterectomy in an emergency setting because of an ovarian cyst which caused my ovary to twist, I learned that the cyst could have just been removed instead. I've also learned that fibroids and polyps can just be removed also. There is no need for a hysterectomy or the removal of any organs if you don't have cancer. The catch is that doctors get paid less to remove cysts and fibroids, so they opt to remove organs because it takes less time and they get paid more. It shouldn't be like that.

In the last year and a half, I have experienced many side effects from this surgery. After a couple months I started getting severe hot flashes even though I was taking estrogen. Then I started getting severe neck and head pain from taking the estrogen. My urethra also became very swollen and I started having urinary incontinence. I was getting up to a dozen severe hot flashes a day and I was soaking wet most the time. I had insomnia really bad and woke up constantly dripping with sweat and with the bed soaked right down to the mattress. I still have lower abdominal pain where my organs were cut out over a year and a half later. I get sharp needle like pains and it gets really sore when I exercise or go for walks. The left side of my stomach bloats out further than the right now and it burns with pain frequently.

If I knew then what I know now I would have ran the other way and found a doctor who was skilled and only interested in removing an ovarian cyst. I didn't have any health problems before this surgery, and not only has it caused health problems, but it's caused me sexual dysfunction too because when they cut our your uterus and cervix, they sew your vagina together into a pocket. So all those nerves get severed. I wouldn't recommened it to anyone.

There are skilled doctors who remove fibroids and polyps, but you have to look a little harder. It's all worth it though because once your body parts are gone, you can't get them back. There are many posts on here from ladies who have had all kinds of problems after this surgery. This surgery should only be done as the last resort.

I could not disagree more with what you are saying. I, too, was in the emergency room with horrendous pain early last month. After doing vaginal ultrasound they siad that there were two cysts on each ovary but it didn't look like the ovaries were twisted. Because I had been to the ER a month earlier in February, I decided that I could no longer live with such pain. After discussing several options with my doctor, I decided that I wanted EVERYTHING removed, since these cysts had been hanging on for over a year. Also, if an ovary ruptures, it can be very critical. Hence, I didn't want to worry about that anymore. I was not in menopause at the time of surgery.

During the surgery, it was discovered that my left ovary had twisted five times around the fallopian tube and the doctor said it was "dead". She was shocked when she saw it and could now see why I had been in such horrible pain. Looking back, the ER failed to detect that the blood flow had been blocked by the ovary.

Fortunately, surgery went great. Pathology reports came back clean, and because I went on the patch when I got home, I have yet to experience a hot flash, mood swing, etc. So far so good.

There are many women that might not have to have a hysterectomy and I was hoping I might have been one of them. Never in a million years did I even think I would have had a hysterectomy last month! I have always had a period every 28 days, never been a big bleeder, no cramps. However, in the last few years, I suffered with ovulaton. For about 12 hours every month I would have to lie down and remain still. Usually, one vicodin or Motrin would help. I should have listened to my body because it was telling
me that something was wrong with my ovaries.

So...how do I feel now? GREAT considering I had a total abdominal hysterectomy on 4/15/2008. Recuperation is much better than I expected and the best part is no more female problems for me! Also, I can't get ovarian, uterine or cervical cancer!

My doctor let me explore my options for over a year before she recommended a hysterectomy. Doctors today are not as quick as they were twenty years ago to jump on the hysterectomy band wagon. It is SO important for every woman to address her issues and make her own decisions.
All I can say from my experience, is that I chose to live a pain-free life and this surgery was a must for me. I am thrilled that I had it and look forward to staying away from the ER! (and the only thing that was bad about surgery for me, was the morphine since I didn't know I was allergic to it.)

My doctor said I have to come back yearly for a vaginal check and a rectum check but I won't have to have a PAP smear. That detects cervical cancer and I don't have a cervix.
I am continuing to do well and hope you are, too!

I no longer have a cervix either but my N.P. says a smear is done of the vagina because you can still get cancer.

Have you had any success with a Dr agreeing to give you the hysterectomy? I don't have to take any hormones but my ovaries are still there and apparently working. I keep thinking of you and all that you are going through. It is not an easy decision. Do you research and you will make the best decision possible.

In the mean time I took a kosher iron supplement 2x a day, drank a cup of prune juice and unsulfered black strap molasses blended together once a day and for a snack dried apricots and sunflower seeds or cashews, which gave me all the iron I needed to keep up with the loss of blood and it kept me regular too.

I was so bad that the Dr prescribed oxygen therapy and that was great, it made life bearable. I could go to the store, do laundry and even drive my car without feeling like I might kill someone or forget what I was doing and why I was some place. Anemia SUCKS!

Please let me know how you are doing. You are in my thoughts and prayers.